The president made the decision more than a year ago, on 14 July 2020 but the change went unnoticed till now, France's radio station Europe 1 said on Sunday.
Macron's decision was reportedly prompted by several factors, including the aesthetic, as darker navy blue is deemed more elegant than light blue. Moreover, the renewed flag is said to pay tribute to the French flag of 1793, according to Macron's entourage.
The blue colour on the French flag is now noticeably darker than that on the flag of the European Union, but the move reportedly should not be seen as a rift between France and the EU. "There is no war between the Blues, as it is unreasonable," a source in Macron's entourage explained to the France Bleu news outlet.